Download Moon Haley Moon Dr. Henry Shreibman HONO 3185 7 May 2015

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Haley Moon
Dr. Henry Shreibman
HONO 3185
7 May 2015
Blood in the Hebrew Bible
Medically, blood is a natural component of a living creature. It is a natural bodily
fluid that promotes good health and provides our lungs with a stead supply of oxygen.
Blood has been associated with a vast number or symbols and representations over time
and Judaism and the Hebrew Bible are no exception. Biblical Judaism holds a special and
transformative relationship with blood ranging from blood taboos, such as menstruation
and daily blood loss, to covenantal blood in the form of circumcision and animal
sacrifice. We can look at Kashrut to guide us on the laws governing blood in food and
religious avoidance. All handling of blood is highly ritualized and systematic. The
Hebrew Bible speaks of blood in the very first book, Genesis and has transformed over
the last 2,000 years. This paper will examine the Hebrew Bible and the multifaceted
symbols of blood in Judaism.
In Judaism, blood holds many religious meanings and a deep history of religious
symbolism. Since the beginning of time, Judaism has had a strong aversion to blood. The
first mention of blood is recounted in the book of Genesis 4:10, when God becomes
aware that Cain has murdered his brother Abel. After the murder of Abel, the
implementation of blood in the Hebrew Bible begins (Bible Hub). As illustrated in
Genesis, Abel’s blood permeated the ground, which then called out to the Lord. After the
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bloodshed, the ground was no longer able to produce crops. The blood illustrated a
symbolic representation in this Bible verse. The act of the blood calling to the Lord
represents confession, vengeance, and justice.
The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries
out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the
ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your
hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.
You will be a restless wanderer on the earth” (Bible Hub).
Alternatively, blood can be highly symbolic within the church. Specifically, we can
examine covenantal blood. One example of such representation is the Jewish ritual of
circumcision, brit milah (Jewish Virtual Library). During circumcision, a drop of blood is
released from the foreskin of the penis, representing a covenant of holiness. God
commands His people to take part in this ritual in Genesis 17:10-14. This ancient Jewish
practice is still an important part of the Jewish religion, and applies to converted Jews as
well. This tradition began in the Hebrew Bible in the book of Genesis where God
instructed Abraham to circumcise his children in book 7.
And God said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My
covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. This
is My covenant…every male among you shall be circumcised. And ye
shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of
a covenant betwixt Me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be
circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations...And the
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uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin,
that should shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.
This covenant was said to have apostrophic capabilities as well as introduce Jewish males
into the community. The brotherhood of the circumcised was held to a high regard. In
Exodus 4:25, it is the circumcision blood that saves Moses' life when Zipporah
circumcises Moses' son (Jewish Virtual Library). Additionally, in ancient years,
sacrificing an animal, with the idea that he who broke the covenant would suffer similarly
to the animal, sealed covenants. In Hebrew, the phrase "to seal a covenant" translates into
"to cut", thus, Jewish historians believe that the severing of the foreskin symbolically
represents a covenant.
Kashrut, commonly known as Kosher, is a traditional Jewish practice of dietary
restrictions. It is one of the oldest commands in the Jewish religion and is still upheld and
practiced today. Kosher consumption greatly revolves around blood. The Torrah
specifically states that if an animal is to be consumed, it must be strategically slaughtered
(JewFaq). “Thou shalt slaughter of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given
thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat within thy gates, after all the desire of
thy soul” (Deuteronomy 12:21).
Ritual slaughter, known as Ritual shechitah, is performed by a someone known as
a shochet who has received special training and education regarding kosher slaughter.
The ritual is performed by slicing the animal’s throat with a fast, single cut. It is clearly
stated in the Torah that blood mustn’t be consumed because blood is said to be the life of
the animal. Kashrut is therefore the only written law in the Torah pertaining to dietary
restriction. Because life resides in the blood, it is strictly instructed to be drained at a
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rapid pace, limiting the amount of pain the animal feels. All remaining blood must rid the
animal, including veins. The remaining traces of blood are commonly removed by
broiling, salting, and soaking the meat in water. These final preparations must be
completed within 72 hours of the slaughter. This process of purification is a symbolic
representation of commandments to guard ones health and life, pikuach nefesh, avoid
causing pain to any living creature, tsa’ar ba’alei, do not waste or destroy anything
valuable, bal tashchit, to strive towards a just community, tzedakkah, and to work for the
welfare of the Jewish people, klal Israel (Jewish Virtual Library).
Sacrificial blood is a form of covenantal blood in ancient Judaism that is no
longer upheld in the temple. Animal sacrifice, zevah, was only conducted in the Temples
in Jerusalem, at the hands of the Jewish Priests. It was a highly ritualized behavior and
sinners were not permitted to sacrifice at their own will. The blood of the sacrificial
animal represents the very soul of the chosen sacrifice. The Hebrew Bible instructed
worshipers to sacrifice through the priests on various altars. King Solomon constructed
the first Jewish Temple in 975 BCE (Jewish Virtual Library). The temple was the sole
location of Israelite sacrifice. A few decades later, the Temple was destroyed in the year
586 BCE. The Temple was then reconstructed in the year 516 BCE and stood on the
mount, full of prayer and sacrifice. It stood in glory until the Romans conquered the
second Temple in the year 70 CE. The attack was brutal, full of explosions and bombings
and the Jewish people were exiled from their land. Following the second destruction of
the Temple, sacrifices were then banned.
Blood taboos are a prevalent topic in Judaism. While menstruation is an inevitable
part of a woman’s biology, there are strict laws, which restrict certain activities during a
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menstrual cycle. Men are equally affected by menstrual blood and are instructed to avoid
it, or face potential risk. Menstrual blood in the Jewish community is firmly associated
with death. Menstrual blood is a display of infertility and lack of fruitfulness.
A
menstruating woman, niddah, is an immediate threat to the males of the community and
any male who engages in sexual activity with a niddah, is said to have engaged in “sinful
acts punished severely” by means of karet, extirpation from the community. These
instructions are written in Leviticus, given to Moses, by God to instruct the people.
Leviticus 18:19 states, “Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the
uncleanness of her monthly period”. In Rabbinic Judaism, a woman’s period was looked
upon as reminder that she and her body are responsible for human mortality. It is believed
by some that menstruation is punishment for the metaphorical consumption of the
forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. The Jewish community continued to practice this
avoidance even after the 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D, when the impurity system
was not upheld (Jewish Virtual Library).
I have personally found the traditions surrounding blood in Judaism to be
fascinating. I value how the traditions have stayed constant and sacred throughout history
and continue to influence Jewish life today. It is so interesting how one single thing can
play such a significant role in a religion and culture. Blood is thought to contain the life
of an animal and it is therefore precious, yet there is a strong taboo against it.
Menstruating women were deemed infertile and dangerous during their periods, even
though it is a regularity of human life. Being raised in the Lutheran church never gave me
an insight to Jewish culture or the conceptualization of blood. Researching this topic has
been eye opening and truly, a very interesting learning experience.
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While blood is an inanimate object, it is clearly a highly ritualized and symbolic
property that serves many responsibilities in throughout biblical Judaism. It sustains
human and animal life. It provides health and nutritional boundaries for the wellness of
the people. It can play a representative role through historical myths and legends that are
the guiding forces to uphold and continue Jewish tradition and culture. To some, blood is
a cut on the knee, and to others, a culture.
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References
"Circumcision - Brit Milah." Jewish Virtual Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
"The First Temple - Solomon's Temple." Jewish Virtual Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr.
2015.
Genesis 4:10. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
"Jewish Dietary Laws (Kashrut): Overview of Laws & Regulations." Overview of Jewish
Dietary Laws & Regulations. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
"Judaism 101: Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws." Judaism 101: Kashrut: Jewish Dietary
Laws. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
"Niddah." Jewish Virtual Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.